Retort for gasifying oil and tar



June 3, 1924. 1,496,609

7 .1. E. SHARP ET AL na'roaw FOR GA'SIFYING on. AND TAR Fil JuhnE. SharpAlvinlBassefl? Patented June 3, 1924;

rrsn s'ra'rss PATENTOFFICE.

JOHN E. SHARP AND ALVIN J. BASSETT, OF MILVAUKEE, WISCQNSIN.

/ RETORT FOR- GASIFYING OIL AND TAR.

Application filed October 2, 1920. Serial 110.41%317.

To all whom may concern.

Be it known that we, JOHN E. SHARP and ALVIN-l BAssn'rr, both citizensof the United States, and residents of Milwaukee, in the county atMilwaukee and State of Wisconsin, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in a Retort for Gasifying Oil and Tar; and we do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact descriptionthereoff This invention relates to new and useful improvements in aretort for gasifying oil and tar and particularly to a heating devicetherefor.

In the production of gas from lignite coal, such as is found in largequantities in Texas and other States, also in the production of gas frombituminous coal, wood, and the like, great difficulties have beenexperienced by the presence of oil and tar, which does not readilybecome converted into gas, It is the particular object of this inventionto provide a novel and improved device, whereby this oil and tar may beeasily and completely converted into gas.

Another object is to provide a reheater through which the gas passesfrom the gas generator and wherein such gas is raised to suliicientlyhigh temperature that the gas containing oil and tar particles, which isdelivered thereinto in the form of a vapor or fog, will be instantlyconverted into gas.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the followingdescription when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

The figure is a vertical sectional view of this reheater.

Referring particularly to the accompanying drawing, there is shown achamber 10 formed from fire-brick, and enclosed in a surrounding metalwall 11. Disposed vertically and centrally within the heating chamber10, with its upper end closed. is a retort or tube 12, a pipe 13connecting with one side of the upper end, and leading from thesource'of raw gas supply (not shown) while a pipe 14 is connected to theother side of the upper end and leads to the scrubbing means (notshown). The lower end of the tube passes through the bottom of thechamber 10, and has the downwardly tapering portion 12, which isconnected to an elbow 15, which is in turn connectedwith a pipe 16,leading into a well 17, sunk in the ground and leading to a sewer bymeans ofthe pipe 18. Disposed vertically in the retort or tube 12, anddividing the same into two compartments 19 and 20, is a wall 21. Thus itwill be noted that the retort 12 is divided into two compartments one ofwhich, 19, is a gasifying chamber, while the other, 20, is asuperheating or fixing chamber, the wall or baffle 21 being positionedbetween the two. The lower end of the wall or baffle 21 terminatescentrally within the lower end of the tapering portion 12 and unattachedthereto, the upper end of the said wall being secured to the top wallofthe retort, while the side portions of the wall 21 are secured to theopposite sides of the wall of the tube. Extending into the heatingchamber 10, from a number of points, are the heating burners 22,receiving their fuel from a suitable source, which is controlled by anindicating and controlling pyrometer 28. A thermo-couple24; is disposedin the heating chamber 10, approximately midway of the length of thetube 12, and said thermocouple is connected to the pyrometer. Theindicator has a series of differently colored lamps indicating a normaltemperature, below normal temperature and above normal, respectively,said lamps being shown at 25, 26, and 27 respectively. If desired anindicating pyrometer can be used and the fuel to the burners regulatedby hand or other means. The retort may be arranged for gasifying anykind of oil, oily and tarry vapors, or gas containing particles of oiland tar and may be arranged with elements for using electric current.

In the lower portion of the tube, externally of the heating chamber 10,is a spray nozzle 28, which delivers its spray down the curve of the L15 and into the pipe 16, washof the tube 12, its temperature is raisedto a high degree, and thence upwardly again through chamber where thevapors or gases are superheated or fixed throughout the entire length ofthe tube, the heat from the tube quickly gasifying the vapor or fogformed of the oil and tar present in the lignite coal and carried overin the gas, the spray from the nozzle 28 serving to precipitate thesediment and heavier matter in the gas, to the well 17.

With a lignite coal 'as plant, in which this retort is installed, Fuelwhich otherwise would be waste, can be readily used and converted intocommercial gas.

Our invention is susceptible of embodiment in a variety of mechanicalstructures, but it is to be understood that regardless of the design andconstruction, the principle and process of gasifying oil and tar vaporor fog which is carried over with the, gas generated from a variety offuels, is our basic claim.

Having thus fully described our invention, what we claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is 1- A retort for gasifying oil andtar comprising a heating chamber, a vertical gas retort disposedcentrally within the chamber and having an elbow at its lower end, saidretort having a vertical division wall centrally therewithin, said wallbeing connected to the top wall of the retort and terminating in spacedrelation to the lower portion thereof and centrally in unattachedrelation thereto, a temperature regulator, regulatable burners withinthe heating cham' her, and a spray nozzle in said elbow and adapted towash the sediment collected therein to a suitable well.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing we have hereunto set our handsat Milwaukee in the county of Milwaukee and State of lVisconsin.

JOHN E. SHARP. ALVIN J. BASSETT,

